Laura Miller

My lecturers were people who were professionals in their field, which was very inspirational.

Laura Miller

Alumnus IBCoM, PR Advisor at Het PR Bureau

Which master program did you study?I went to Sydney, Australia, to study a Master's degree in Public Relations & Advertising at the University of New South Wales (UNSW).

What was important in making up your mind?I always wanted to go to Australia to do a Master's programme, as I lived there as a kid. So I knew where I wanted to study, but I also wanted to find a programme that would help me improve my skills in the field of public relations.

Why did you decide on this master?After completing the IBCoM programme, I felt I had received a broad understanding of multiple facets of media and communication. Throughout those three years, I found that I had a specific interest for public relations and wanted to develop this interest further. I also wanted to study a programme that included a creative and practical element, so when I found out there was a programme in Sydney that offered students to study both public relations and advertising, I immediately applied!

How would you describe the connection between IBCoM and your master?IBCoM gave me a good foundation in the field of media and communication. It also allowed me to discover which facets of media and communication interested me the most. My Master's programme then allowed me to further develop my understanding of these specific facets.

How would you describe your master?It was great! The first semester focused entirely on public relations, and the second on advertising. My lecturers were people who were professionals in their field, which was very inspirational. Being taught how the world of public relations works from the former Head of PR at UNICEF in New York, or what makes an advertisement stick from the Head of Marketing at the time Windows 95 was launched was very valuable.

In hindsight, what would you have liked to have known before, what you know now?How expensive housing is in Sydney! I was lucky enough to find a great apartment in the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney (Zarita Private Hotel, highly recommended!), but many of my uni friends had to pay over €1000 per month for an apartment that they shared with 5 others. It is also quite difficult to find a paid internship in Sydney, as most companies only offer unpaid positions. So it's always a good idea to check the fine print before you sign a contract.

For which company are you currently employed and what is your job title? What are your main tasks?I currently work for Het PR Bureau in Amsterdam as a PR Advisor. It's a great agency; we have a long list of fantastic clients and everyone really loves what they do. This makes it an inspiring environment to work in, especially for a first job when there is still so much to learn. I work for 8-10 clients, ranging from corporate to marketing accounts. Together with a team of 3-4 colleagues, we help clients with day-to-day PR activities, including writing press releases and fact sheets, but we also organize awesome events that will really grab the media's attention.

How long did it take you to find your first job after graduation and through which means did you find it? I was very lucky! I came back from my year in Australia at the beginning of December and within a month I was able to start at Het PR Bureau. I applied for several jobs within that month, but unfortunately they didn't work out. Well, not really unfortunately, because I really have found a great place to work now!

I applied for my job at Het PR Bureau right before Christmas. Luckily for me, one of my former colleagues at Unilever (where I was an intern in 2012) is friends with one of the founders of the agency and was kind enough to introduce me to her. This led to a job interview three days after applying for the job, and an hour after coming home from the job interview I was offered the job. The best Christmas present ever!

Anything you would like to add?With the current job market, it is quite tough to distinguish yourself from the competition when applying for a job, as more and more people are applying for that one job vacancy. I would therefore recommend everyone to utilise their network; you never know how things work out!